


Could I?

by Capesandshapes



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Identity Reveal, Seven Minutes In Heaven Game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:26:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26132635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Capesandshapes/pseuds/Capesandshapes
Summary: Partially inspired by the Seven Minutes in Heaven Scene from 13 Going on 30.When Adrien and Marinette are paired together for a game of seven minutes in heaven, he has a realization about who his classmate really is… and what he’d like to do more than anything else.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 28
Kudos: 387





	1. Chapter 1

“Oh come on, Marinette, it’s just a little addition to spice things up!” Chloe proclaimed, her voice tainted with a tone that suggested that it was anything but that. “Sabrina did it.”

It was only through Chloe’s frequent insistence (and the coincidence of fashion week in New York happening to be in full swing that day) that Adrien was allowed to come to the party, but he was already slowly beginning to regret that decision. He was the idiot who’d told Chloe that he wouldn’t come to the party if Alya and Marinette weren’t invited, but if he’d know the turn it would take, he would have just stayed home.

They crowded around a glass bottle on the floor, nearly all of the classmates sitting shoulder to shoulder in a circle as they watched the bottle whir. Marinette had been its newest victim, chosen almost as soon as Sabrina had returned from her stint in the closet with Max. But of course, she had no intention of going down quietly, not to Chloe.

“Sabrina would do anything you ask her to,” Marinette deadpanned, pushing away the bottle. “Besides, I don’t really want to play if–”

“Lila and I came up with the twist, Marinette! Everyone agreed that it was fine, and you chose to play, so…” Chloe pulled her ladybug print sleeping mask from the tip of the bottle, smirking as pink dusted Marinette’s cheeks when she offered it to her. “Go on, put it on.” 

To be fair, Marinette had agreed to it, Adrien supposed. Lila and Chloe had suggested putting a spin on seven minutes in heaven, and all members of the party had technically agreed… Though a few were likely swayed by elbows from others. Chloe had squealed in delight when even Marinette had agreed, and Lila and Chloe seemed determined enough that everyone would get a turn, likely hoping that Adrien would end up in the closet with them, but he didn’t like to think of that.

The rules were simple enough:

1.The first person that the bottle lands on has to be blindfolded and wait in the closet for their partner.

2.The partner had to be chosen by an additional spin of the bottle, and there was no butting in on someone else’s time.

3\. Upon Alya and Nino’s insistence, and much to Chloe’s dismay, you didn’t have to do anything with the other person in the closet if you didn’t want to. But, Lila had declared, you could not, under any circumstances, leave before those seven minutes were up.

Adrien supposed that Marinette didn’t think she would end up having to wear the mask. Unfortunately, Marinette hadn’t had the foresight to realize that, for the most part, Chloe was a well-practiced bottle spinner. Chloe’d played these games too often to lose, he supposed.

“Come on, Marinette,” Chloe stated with a mock pout, “You wouldn’t wanna be a party pooper, would you?”

“It’s just a little fun,” Lila said with a grin.

Marinette opened her mouth to speak, but Alya interrupted her before she could get a word out. “Girl, it’ll be fine, I promise,” she said, placing her hand on Marinette’s shoulder. “I’ll spin for Marinette. We wouldn’t want anyone to think things were getting a little unfair, would we?”

“What?!” Chloe exclaimed, “But I’ve done it the whole time! Besides that, even if it were to fall on someone a bit more interesting, wouldn’t that make the game a little bit more fun?” Chloe made no effort to hide her pointed stare at Nathaniel from across the circle, likely figuring that she could embarrass both him and Marinette through making him sit in the closet with his ex-crush.

“Alya’s got a wicked spin,” Nino began, “no one will know where it’s going to land.”

Chloe faltered but finally gave in when Adrien found his voice, irritation coating her features at his response, “I think it’s a good idea, things were getting a little… predictable?”

“Ugh, fine,” Chloe responded, slamming the bottle down on the floor, “get in the closet, Marinette.”

*****

After Sabrina had returned from escorting Marinette to the closet the group reformed their circle, Nino placing his hands on Alya’s shoulders as she leaned forward to spin the bottle much like a seasoned gambler would. “One good spin,” She proclaimed, her teeth biting down hard on her lip. Something about the ridiculous, over the top action made Adrien chuckle. 

And then the bottle was off, each student’s face changing as the top briefly pointed in their direction before moving onto the next person. Nino did not lie; Alya had a truly wicked spin. Chloe and Lila scrunched their eyes shut and crossed their fingers as the bottle flew, Sabrina following suit.

And then… it slowed to a stop.

“Nino!” Chloe proclaimed, immediately reach to snatch the bottle up, as if the rest of the class somehow hadn’t seen it already.

“Um… No, dude.” Nino said, trying to protect the bottle from Chloe’s grasp but instead finding his hand squeezed into place. Beside him, Alya’s eyes widened as she took a sharp breath, not releasing it as her head swiveled around to face Adrien.

“Oh!” Adrien found himself blinking in confusion as he looked down at the bottle pointing to him, “it’s me.”

“You know, I really am tired of this game,” Lila quickly declared.

“It’s fine,” Adrien immediately replied, relief overtaking him when he realized that it was just him going into the closet with Marinette. He couldn’t live within himself if something happened to Marinette, especially at a party that he’d practically invited her and Alya to. 

Still, there was something strange about the way Alya reacted, or how most of the girls seemed to perk up as the bottle landed. Even Nino looked a little pleased.

“It’s just seven minutes, right?” Adrien asked with a smile as he stood up from the circle. “I’d spend seven minutes with Marinette any day.”

*****

Alya escorted Adrien to the closet quickly, with Chloe and Lila trailing behind the two as they tried and failed to convince them that the game should be over by now. It’s unceremonious the way Alya opened the door and pushes him in, even more so the way she quickly whispered, “have fun,” into his ear. But the door closed behind him all the same, leaving him to stare at the door. Suddenly he was alone with Marinette.

“Hello?” Her voice called out as he stared at the wood, suddenly finding himself without words. “Is anyone in here?” She asked, “or did Chloe leave me here alone as a joke?”

“No,” he replied, but his mind was elsewhere. For some strange reason, Marinette sounded different when he wasn’t looking at her, her voice was familiar but he didn’t remember it being hers. “You’re not alone.”

“Oh!” She replied, her voice was light and he could tell she was pleased. “Well, you can sit down. I mean, it’s only seven minutes, so you could stand if you want.” It was strange hearing her speak without a stutter for once, or mixing up her words. Maybe that’s what was confusing him? Marinette continued talking, unaware of how Adrien internally compared her voice with nearly everyone in the class. “I have to admit, this is a bit harder than I thought it would be. I don’t know who you are at all; I think I’m a little voice-blind.”

Adrien couldn’t help but smile in response, slowly sinking down to the ground as he turned to her, “me too, I think I’m a little…” He trailed off, his breath catching in his throat as he finally got a good look at her from the small bits of light that came in from the corners of the door frame.

Oh.

OH.

Had she always looked like that? Had she always sounded like that? Was he going crazy? Maybe her voice had cracked or– No, that wasn’t a thing that happened to girls, was it?

She looked too much like her, he decided, sitting there in the red and black ladybug mask with those pigtails. There was something about her, the freckles that laid just below her eyes peaking out from under the mask and her lips just looking so… perfect? Dear god, he could almost mistake her for Ladybug.

“Are you okay?” She asked.

He’d heard those words too many times, but never from Marinette’s mouth. Or at least he thought not from Marinette’s mouth. 

“No, I’m fine,” Adrien lied, “for a moment you just sounded like another one of my friends.”

“Are we not friends?” Marinette asked, and he could swear he saw her eyebrows narrow in concern.

“No! We are friends…” He flinched at how that word sounded now, how restrictive it was in nature. Without another moment’s hesitation, he selfishly rephrased himself, “I’m your friend.” It was better that way, more honest. Adrien was Marinette’s friend and Ladybug was much more than a friend to Adrien. Simple.

“You’re my friend,” the corners of her lips went up, she didn’t quite catch what the correction meant. “…You sound like someone I know. But, he wouldn’t be at this party.”

“He wouldn’t?” Adrien asked, trying to sound conversational. “I don’t know, you would be surprised, I mean, even Adrien Agreste showed up.” Idiot, he was an idiot.

“He did,” Marinette’s face glowed, “I’m glad he did.” It then occurred to him that the words she had said before were true. She had no idea who was in that closet with her, he was so sure. The only name that she could likely pull… “This is going to sound stupid, but…Has anyone ever told you that you sound like Chat Noir?”

And there it was. Had she always said Chat Noir that way? How much of an idiot was he?

“I’m sorry, I know that was stupid,” Marinette sighed. “Again, I’m not very good at this. At least the time is almost over.”

That didn’t make things better somehow. A million thoughts were racing through Adrien’s head, but somehow the time had been one to escape him. And there she was, for god’s sake! Right in front of him, trying to hold a conversation with him. He had to say something, anything, and quickly.

“I’m sorry, I know I’m kind of boring in situations like this.”

“No!” He started himself with how quickly he responded, the words seeming to just tumble out of his mouth, “you’re not, I just… I… You know, I wish you weren’t wearing a mask right now.” He caught the confused look on her face, and raised his hands in the air innocently as he replied, “I really wish you could see me right now.”

“Why?”

“Because I…” Honesty was the best policy, wasn’t it? How was he supposed to feel as reality began to set in, how was he supposed to approach the realization that had come crashing over his body? “Because I really want to kiss you right now.”

A strangled breath was all that escaped Marinette, her hands balling into fists atop her legs as she grew stiff. If the lights were on he knew he would see her blush, if her masks were off he knew he would see her eyes widen. She struggled for words to reply to him, unknowing that nothing she could say could make this feeling go away in that moment. 

He was a stranger, more than that, he was Chat Noir. She already liked someone, and that someone probably wasn’t longtime friend Adrien. He wasn’t an idiot, his father had already told him how the world worked, and Ladybug had already rejected him. Still, he couldn’t help but lean forward, his hand resting slightly upon her cheek as he asked, “could I?”

“Time’s up, Adrikins!” The door flew open before Marinette could respond, and Adrian practically leaped back from her, his face a glowing red. Chloe was the picture of radiance as she held open the door, her sing songy voice declaring, “you can now leave this drabby old closet and go back to the circle.” 

Chloe seemed to have a gift for completely ignoring the room, as she somehow managed to ignore Adrian’s mortified expression. Across from him, Marinette had practically clawed off the mask upon the first creak of the door hinges. Blue met green and Adrien could see the humiliation in her eyes, he’d done it, there was no way that Marinette Dupain-Cheng would ever talk to him again.

“Adrian,” Chloe’s voice floated into his ears again as she shoved her perfectly manicured hand in front of his face, “you absolutely have to come, I have a feeling that your next turn is coming up really soon!”

“–I have to go.”

“What?” Chloe asked, her voice louder than the strangle noise that Marinette had made. Did she say Adrien? No, he couldn’t be sure of that.

“I can’t play anymore, Chloe. I have to go home,” he stood up from the ground too quickly, his head whirring from both emotions and the sudden movement. “Thanks for inviting me, though,” common sense was flooding back to him now, and he had already begun to process the huge mistake he’d just made. He couldn’t stay there; not knowing that Marinette was Ladybug, and definitely not knowing that he had stupidly asked to kiss her while knowing that she was in love with another boy.

No, his seven minutes of heaven were up.


	2. Chapter 2

He wasn’t sure what was worse, the fact that it seemed like no one knew or the fact that Marinette had not so much as messaged a word to him since. A few hours had passed, but those hours felt like weeks. There was nothing worse than sitting alone in your room while the rest of the world kept moving. It was hell to lay in bed, not knowing what the probable love of your life was thinking then.

“What I would give to use second chance right now,” Adrien mumbled under his breath, replaying the situation over and over again his mind. 

Of course, second chance couldn’t save him from this. Either he’d kiss her and wish her didn’t, or not kiss her and wish he did. There was no easy solution to it; he’d dug himself in a hole so deep that he wasn’t sure he could climb out. She wouldn’t forget it, he was sure, how could she?

“I wish I knew who it was.” Adrien groaned, letting his hand fall onto his face. It’d be easier in his mind, knowing who it was that she was in love with, at least then the fact that he didn’t have a chance would actually stick with him. “Scratch that,” he said, Luka’s blue head of hair popping into his mind. It turned out it would definitely be far worse to know who.

“Oh come on,” Plagg chimed, his stubby legs hanging over the edge of Adrien’s desk as he sat down to enjoy a slice of camembert. “You’re a model, the most famous one in all of Paris! How couldn’t she like you?” The Kwami had gone over this conversation a hundred times with Adrien already, but it still didn’t seem to get through his head. Who would turn down good looks?

“Appearance wouldn’t matter to Marinette,” Adrien sighed wistfully, “she’s not like that.”

“Marinette,” Adrien could hear the eye roll in Plagg’s voice as he over-pronounced Marinette’s name. “I don’t know why you say her name so strangely now.”

“Because it’s Marinette!” Adrien replied, practically bolting up in his bed. “Don’t you get it? She’s Marinette!” Seeing that his Kwami still didn’t seem to get the importance, Adrien continued, “Marinette is…” He trailed off. There were too many words to describe Marinette, much less the way that knowing that Marinette was Ladybug, his Ladybug, made him feel.

“She’s just a friend?” Plagg supplemented, repeating the cursed words that Adrien had uttered much too many times.

“She’s perfect,” Adrien mumbled, finally having found the right word to describe her.

“You’re perfect too,” Plagg replied matter of factly, “or did you forget that your face is all over Paris?”

“Ugh,” Adrien groaned, “I ‘look’ perfect, Plagg. Marinette? She is perfect.” Plagg just didn’t get it. “She’s kind, she’s smart, she’s talented, she always stands up for others, she’s--”

“Spare me the explanation, Romeo,” Plagg replied with a gulp, evidently deciding to finish his cheese quickly rather than indulge himself. “What’s all this matter if you never speak to her again?”

“I’m going to talk to her, I just--” He just what? When did he even plan to have this conversation, in a week? Great, because that wouldn’t make the situation worse than it already was. He had to do it, didn’t he? Still, hesitation was heavy in his voice when he mumbled the words, “fine, you win.”

*****

He’d planned out how it would go a million times in his head. It was going to be romantic, it was always supposed to be romantic when you told someone how you felt. They’d defeat Hawkmoth, she’d grab his hand in just that way, her eyes would look over to him, he’d tighten his hand around hers… And then it would just happen, cue detransforming and a big kiss scene, roll credits to the two of them eating at the Dupain-Cheng’s bakery while he (ironically) bragged about knowing the owner’s daughter. A few years later they’d purchase a deserted island in the Caribbean, live off of fruit, and have one hamster that was yet to be named.

That was the ideal reality, this was not. Suddenly Tom and Sabine’s Boulangerie Patisserie felt like the beginning of the end. The downstairs lights had been turned off before Adrien came, business hours ending well before the borderline late time of night that he’d finally managed to come. Upstairs, however, lights were still gleaming. Worse yet, the rooftop was as well.

“She’s here,” he said to himself, having not yet dropped his transformation. A part of him had debated going off to the rooftop as he was and basking in how easy it always was to be Chat Noir around Marinette. 

But that wasn’t the right thing to do, was it?

He took a breath, his eyes clenching shut as he said the words, internally wishing that he was anywhere else, “claws in.” The transformation dropped; he was now Adrien Agreste, the moron standing outside of Marinette’s home and hoping he could make everything better.

“Well, here goes nothing, Plagg.”

And there he went, his feet practically dragging across the pavement as he crossed the street, struggling to keep his eyes away from the ground. Her mother answered with a smile, happy to see Adrien but worried about why he was out so late. He lied that he had permission, hoping that her mother wouldn’t think to call, and then there he was, inside Marinette’s living room once again.

“Marinette!” Sabine called, passing her husband as she led Adrien across the living room, “you have company!”

A quiet fumbling responded to her, followed by the creak of Marinette’s trap door. “Alya’s not supposed to be here for an hour, mom!”

“It’s not Alya,” Sabine replied as they entered the kitchen, subtly beginning to slow down so that Adrien was in front of her. 

The trapdoor’s hinges creaked further, and Adrien caught a glimpse of black pigtails before hearing the door suddenly slam once more, causing him to wince. “Oh,” was the only reply Marinette could muster.

A pause, even Sabine seemed to blink in confusion. She must not have wanted him there--

The trapdoor came open again all too suddenly, Marinette’s face appearing in full within it. She looked paler than usual, and her lips were almost pressed in a thin line as she looked out at him, almost as if she had seen a ghost. Then, very quickly, she stated, “I didn’t know that you were coming, Adrien.”

“Neither did I,” he said.

*****

“So.” Adrien was the first one to speak. It felt like, at the very least, he could do that for her.

It was obvious already that she wouldn’t be the first to talk; it seemed difficult for her to even make eye contact with him. She kept her distance, far more than Adrien thought was necessary, and stared at him unabashedly. There was something about her expression, though he couldn’t make it out very well with him sitting in her desk chair across the room while she seemed all too eager to possibly leave, it was a strange mixture of embarrassment and something else.

“So,” she echoed to him. 

“Maybe it’s better if I…” he began, standing up from his chair. 

“I’d rather you didn’t,” Marinette quickly replied, obviously not noticing how his face fell in response. She pulled her feet up onto the chair beside her, her eyes clenching shut as Adrien fell obediently back into his chair.

“Marinette,” he tried again. “I--”

She didn’t let him begin, her expression suggesting that she didn’t want him to even try. Her reply was short and, while obviously not true, shocking all the same. “It’s okay, I know it was a joke.”

Adrien practically choked, “a joke?”  _ What _ ? 

“I know, I mean, I knew then too.” Catching Adrien’s empty expression, she explained further, “that’s why I didn’t want to put on the blindfold, I mean people can pull all sorts of tricks on you-- Chloe probably convinced you that it would be funny, but it’s not…” 

She seemed to contemplate her next move then, her lips pursed tightly as she debated what to say. At the same time, Adrien struggled to understand what she meant, how could she think that he would say something like that as a joke? Sure, he was friends with Chloe, and yes, he had pretended to be a statue that one time but, why would he joke about something like that? 

“It’s not funny, because…” she tried again to let the words out, struggling to form them. But before she could, he interrupted her.

“I’m in love with you.”

“--What?” 

Color had come flooding back to the young girl's cheeks almost as soon as he had said it, her eyes widened and her mouth dropped ever so slightly. This was evidently not one of the things Marinette had expected for Adrien to say to her, or ever managed to imagine. He immediately knew that he had to fix it.

“Marinette, I’m sorry.”

“Say it again.”

Her voice was immediate, her reply deadly serious. He couldn’t help but be confused, almost wondering if she’d not heard him. But then again, if she didn’t then why did she seem to react? 

“I love you, Marinette?” He hesitantly replied. She didn’t react, so he tried again, slowly rising from his chair, “Marinette Dupain-Cheng, I’m in love with you.”

No response, he couldn’t just leave her there. His steps were careful but quick, he crossed the room in a matter of seconds. The black-haired girl sat in front of him, her hands wringing together as she seemed lost in thought. A part of him panicked, perhaps he’d broken her? Her eyes were downcast as he reached for her, his hand lightly resting on her shoulder.

“Marinette?”

A soft sob responded, bringing him down to his knees in front of her. He’d said the wrong thing, he’d--

“Not as a friend?” She asked, and that’s when it finally clicked for him. 

It wasn’t Luka she liked, nor was it some mysterious stranger, it was-- “Me.” Ladybug was in love with him, Marinette was in love with him, he was that guy! Ladybug had turned him down for him!

It was easy, almost too easy. All that time he’d stared at her lips, he’d thought about doing it and doing it in a way that he’d remember. Still, all those thoughts, all those daydreams, those didn’t amount to the real thing.

His lips fit too well against hers when they finally touched, and he wished that he could remember all of the kisses before because he realized then that kissing Marinette? That was what bliss felt like. She tasted like strawberries and caramel, like the foggy air during a late night patrol and the medicinal chapstick Ladybug shared with him on cold nights. Her squeak, a small, almost inaudible sound she made at realizing just what she was doing, vibrated against his lips.

It was only a moment, but that was enough for them. He pulled back first, now savoring the redness of her skin as he plainly said, “not as a friend.”

Marinette swallowed as he leaned in once more, resting his forehead against hers.

“You’re not going to believe what I have to tell you next,” he whispered, knowing that his time in heaven had only just begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bet you didn't expect this to come up so soon.  
> If you like my writing and you want to see more, feel free to drop a request in my ask box at https://capesandshapes.tumblr.com/ask, where I will try to be as active as possible in fulfilling them. All of my fanfiction will be posted to my Tumblr and Archive of Our Own, so stay tuned!.


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